PepeGate Surrounds Barcelona And Real Madrid

Barcelona and Real Madrid might be two of the biggest football clubs in the world, but at times they act like petulant children.

According to Catalunya Radio, Barcelona secretly filmed Real Madrid defender’s Pepe’s during 2010-11’s Clasicos, with the goal of recording all his tackles on Barcelona players.

The radio station’s El Club de la Mitjanit programme claims that the videos were done with the consent of former boss Pep Guardiola and current Head Coach Tito Vilanova, the latter having responded angrily to suggestions the referee had favoured his team in the latest El Clasico by saying ‘we could make a video of Pepe’s kicks’.

As expected Real Madrid acted angrily to the story with sporting director Miguel Pardeza saying:

“Pepe is an extraordinary player of supreme value to us,”

“He is a player who gives his all for his club, a strong defender who always plays within the rules and he does not deserve to be tracked like this. Real Madrid have never done something like this.”

Barcelona’s Director of institutional Pere Gratacos then responded to that explained that relations with the capital club are ‘very good’ and that the ‘pretence’ of this video of Pepe is one that the club have ‘no knowledge’ of.

Gratacos, however, also urged the reporters he was talking to to discuss the matter further with sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta.

It is alleged that Pep Guardiola was using images from the first two Clasicos as a way to motivate his players for the later clasico’s that season.